Auto direction signal



May 26, 1925. I I 1,539,367 H. H. OWENS AUTO DIRECTION SIGNAL Filed Dec. 7, 1923 MTNESS. s E; Japan- '01 enr zzrens v Q I abhor/W11 Patented May 26, 1925.

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Application filettDcce-mber T, 1923. Serial N'oi 679-;181.

Be it known that I, HENRY I'L Owens, a citizen or the-United States, residingat ltl adison, in the county" of Jefferson and State of Indiana, have invented eertainnew and useful Improvements in an Afuto Direction Signal; of 'which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signalsfor' automobiles and the likeanctthe primary object oit' th'e invention'is to provide an improved direction indicator for automobiles to ettectivelyindicating to trafilc the in tended course ofthe vehicle equipped with the indicator, without necessitating the removing of the hands or the driver ot the .vehicle from the 1 steering wheeL Another prime [object ofthe present in- \GlltllOH is the provision of a direction-in dicatonfor motor vehicles embodying a casing securedto each side otthe vehicle and a pivotedsignalling) arm for eachcasing,

'tli signalling arms having"novel means-for permitting the extending thereof to an operative indicating position'from the interior oit the vehicle.

A further object. of the invention the iu'ovision otnovel means for forniingthe signalling arm, whereby the same can be readily seen from the front and*"1"ear;oi' the vehicle.

A still further" object; ot the invention is to provide an lll'lPl'OVGtl direction indicator "tor motor vehicles whichwill he durahle and etticient' inuseg'one that will be simple and easy to niaiiutacture andone which canb'e pla-eed' upon the market and incorporated with an automobile at a small Cost.

\Vith these and other; objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, a1" 'angenient and formation of parts, as will he hereinafter more specifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the improved indicator showing the same attached to a motor vehicle.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the indicator taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail transverse section through the indicating arin taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation oi" the means for permitting the operation amittin a The. ca 7 an F1 lmttonrwalls 11..

of; the signalling arm from the interior of the vehiclezby the. toot-,of thefloperator: ot the machine;

Referring to the drawings in detail, where- 111 similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several yiews,: the letter A'. generally indicates the improved" direction signal, and B a pore tion of the! motor vehiclewith which the same can be associated.

The improved dii'ectiontsignal At com-- prises a casing 53, asignalling ll'llli 6', and. means 7: for operating the indicating. arm. lVhile in the drawings I1 have illustrated one casing and one indicating arm and shown thesa me disposed at onesideot the motorvehicle, it isto-b'eunderstood; that I provide another casing, indicating arm and operating;moans therefor arranged on the opposite side ot' the motorvehiele and that whenx'the arms! are extended on one side O'fi' the vehicle, it indicates that the vehicle is going to turn in that direction and whe-n the other arm on tllGOthQTSlLlQ of-th'e vehicle extended; the same indi- (rates that :the vehicleis going 'tot turn in s that direction:

As shown the casing secured to'the lower. portionottthe windshieldtof the motor vehicle; but it is to be lmd'erstoodthat the same can heconnected to any other preferriedoartotrt'he vehicle.

. The casin 5 includes :tront and rearv walls 8 andxtl, and an inner wallv it it which can carry suit-ahl'efi or the llltGQiOli perl r a ninl cesing is also iprete ahly pro lClGCl 'ith A mirror 12 can also be attached to the a rear? wall. 9,-, so; that the drivenot sthe vehido can readily see traffic in rear of his vehicle and the wall 9 carries suitable flanges 13 for engaging the margii'ial edges of the mirror.

The signalling arm 6 includes a body 15 having parallel longitudinally extending Walls 16 and an inner wall 17. These walls 16 and 17 are adapted to support front and rear plates 15 which can have suitable direction indieia painted or otherwise aflixed thereon, such as the Word Turn it so desired. bulls eyes 18 through which the rays of light from the lamp hereinafter described shine. a The bulls eyes 18 on the signal on the left-hand side of the automobile are The plates 18 carry transparent colored red, while the bulls eyes 18 on the ferring to Figure 2 of the drawings and a suitable bracket 19 is secured tothe wall 16 and this bracket has attached thereto an indicating hand 20, with the index finger thereon extended. This hand 20 is adapted to be painted white and the rays of light emanating from the lamp 21 are adapted to shine thereon to illuminate the same. The lamp 21 is of the incandescent type and is supported by a suitable bracket 22. The current from the lamp .217 can be derived from any suitable source of electrical energy such as a storage battery or the like and any preferred type of switch can be employed for controlling the flow of current thereto. The inner or lower wall 16 has secured thereto an inwardly extending supporting plate 23 which is rockably mounted upon a transversely extending supporting shaft 24. This shaft 2 1 is carried by the walls 8 and 9 of the casing 5. The plate 23 has formed thereon beyond the shaft 2% an angularly extending operating lug 25 to which is pivotally connected the operating link 26. This operating link 26 extends down toward the floor of the motor vehicle, with which'the signal is incorporated and the lower end of the rod 26 is connected to a crank arm 27 keyed or otherwise secured to a rock shaft 28. This rock shaft 28 is carried by suitable bearings 29, which can be bolted or otherwise secured to the floor of the car. The rock shaft 28 which forms a part of the operating mechanism 7 extends inwardly toward the central portion of the automobile and has secured to its inner terminal the operating foot pedal 30. An expansion spring 31 is coiled about the rock shaft 28 and has one terminal secured to therock shaft and the other terminal to one bearing 29 and the tension of this spring normally holds the pedal 30 in a raised position and the indicating arm 6 in a lowered position in the casing 5.

New in operation of the improved signal, when the driver of the vehicle is going to change the course thereof, the foot pedal 30 is depressed against the tension of the spring 81, which will push down on the rod 26 and thus raise the indicating arm 6 from out of the casing 5.

The swinging of the arm 6 into its opera tive position, will indicate to trallic, the direction in which the vehicle is going to turn.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that I have provided an improved signal for motor vehicles for indicating to traffie the direction in which a vehicle is going to turn, which is of exceptionally simple and durable construction.

' Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention.

hat I claim as new is:

A direction signal including an upright elongated casing open at its outer side, avertically swinging signal arm normally disposed within and having a body substantially conforming to said casing, a shaft horizontally arranged in the upper part of the casing and having its ends supported by the front and rear walls of the latter, a plate rigid and co-extensive with the normally innor-wall of the signal arm body and normally projecting upwardly from the normally upper end of the latter, said plate bcng engaged with said shaft to permit outward and upward swinging of the signal arm to an exposed horizontal position, and an operation lug rigid with and normally projecting inwardly and upwardly from said plate and the shaft, whereby a downuxrd pull on said lug will affect the outward and upward swinging of said signal arm, said signal arm embodying a pointer member rigid with and normally projecting downwardly from the normally lower end of the signal arm body.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses. I

HENRY H. Oil/ENS. lVitncsses:

HARRY R. MCCOY, TONY G. Sonmon. 

